Regional specialists join forces to drive action against VAWG
Nottinghamshire PCC Gary Godden and his Deputy Angela Kandola were proud to attend the latest East Midlands VAWG Conference earlier this week.
Experts from criminal justice, policing, healthcare, educations and community organisations education joined victims and policymakers to strengthen action against violence against women and girls.
The East Midlands Violence Against Women and Girls Conference 2026, hosted by Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Police and Crime Commissioner's Office, brought together Police and Crime Commissioners and Deputy PCCs from across the region to Winstanley House, Braunstone Park, Leicester.
It is the second time the regional partners have convened as part of a powerful collective drive to improve the prevention and response to VAWG crimes, after the success of the first ever event of its kind held in Nottinghamshire last year.
The conferences provide a platform to share learning, showcase new approaches, highlight victim-focused progress and strengthen partnerships to help achieve better outcomes for victims across the East Midlands and reinforce a collaborative approach to VAWG.
This year’s event focused on action and enabled partners to demonstrate how their VAWG strategies had been translated into practical action.
Delegates were presented with practical examples of innovation from across Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Derbyshire, and took part in specialist workshops, survivor-informed discussions and multiagency panels with the goal of developing coordinated responses to prevent violence, support victims and robustly pursue offenders.
This year’s conference also explored growing issues such as stalking, workforce wellbeing, lived-experience approaches and the role of non-profit organisations in supporting the public.
In a joint statement, the East Midlands PCCs/PFCCs said: “VAWG remains a priority for all PCCs. As regional partners, we are united in our determination to convert ambition into action.
“Women and girls deserve a safer future. Together, we will unleash the power of our collective experience, insight and expertise to root out VAWG from our communities by adopting a whole-system approach focused on prevention, holding offenders accountable and supporting victims.
“We must look beyond the criminal justice system. Every preventable death reflects a missed opportunity to intervene. Commitments must lead to action, guided by evidence of what works and where we need to improve - that is the purpose of this conference."